Evidence mapPaperPMID 41614735Full record

ArticleCurrent issues in molecular biology2025

Preliminary Study on Circulating REG3α and Its Associations with Vitamin D Supplementation and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Adults with Overweight and Obesity.

Theocharis Koufakis, Dimitrios Kouroupis, Areti Kourti, Paraskevi Karalazou, Katerina Thisiadou, Ioannis Georgiadis, Omar Mustafa, Giuseppe Maltese, Luca Busetto, Djordje S Popovic and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Current issues in molecular biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Theocharis KoufakisSecond Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-5853-1352
Dimitrios KouroupisSecond Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0009-0005-7732-709X
Areti KourtiLaboratory of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0009-0007-4844-2712
Paraskevi KaralazouLaboratory of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Katerina ThisiadouLaboratory of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ioannis GeorgiadisNational Primary Health Care Network, 61200 Polykastron, Greece.
Omar MustafaDepartment of Diabetes, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3123-809X
Giuseppe MalteseDepartment of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals, Epsom KT18 7EG, UK.
Luca BusettoDepartment of Medicine, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4883-8980
Djordje S PopovicClinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0000-0002-2763-1326
Olga GioulemeSecond Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Kalliopi KotsaDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism and Diabetes Center, First Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0003-2376-740X
Michael DoumasSecond Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Kali MakedouLaboratory of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-2718-7480

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveObesity is characterized by chronic inflammation and gut dysbiosis, yet circulating markers reflecting intestinal immune activation remain limited. Regenerating islet-derived protein 3 alpha (REG3α), an antimicrobial peptide secreted by intestinal Paneth cells, plays a pivotal role in mucosal defense and mirrors microbial-epithelial interactions. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine circulating REG3α levels in infection-free adults with obesity, overweight, and normal weight, and to explore their associations with vitamin D supplementation and biomarkers of inflammation and dysbiosis.

methodsSixty-nine participants were stratified into control, overweight, and obesity groups. Serum REG3α, interleukin-6 (IL-6), β-defensin-2, high-sensitivity c-reactive protein, ferritin, and presepsin were assessed. Vitamin D status and supplementation history were recorded. Multivariable linear regression, principal component analysis (PCA), and bootstrap mediation models were applied to explore associations and potential indirect effects.

resultsREG3α concentrations were higher in overweight and obesity compared to controls (646 ± 217 vs. 521 ± 311 ng/mL); however, the difference was not significant (

conclusionsCirculating REG3α shows associations with indicators of inflammation and vitamin D supplementation in individuals with overweight and obesity. Although differences between groups did not reach statistical significance, the observed trends suggest possible links between mucosal immune activity and metabolic status. These exploratory results warrant validation in larger, longitudinal studies before any biomarker role can be established.

Indexed as

antimicrobial peptidesgut dysbiosisinflammationmucosal immunityobesityREG3αvitamin D

Identifiers

PMID41614735
PMCPMC12731701

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.